In Healing Scars Lie Healing Promises
by Miss Leanne
Summary: Love heals what time won't. Written for Spring Kinkfest Summer 2011. Explicit content - don't like, don't read.


The long, fibrous, thick scar between her breasts reminds him of the time he had almost been too late to save her. It reminds her why she became the dogged fighter she is today.

For the two of them, it is an altar to their memories of that day.

It is Tifa's most private place on her body. She'd almost rather other private areas be exposed before having this scar revealed. Tifa is quite aware of its presence, and it is obvious to those who notice that she is embarrassed by it. She's never worn low-cut tops and she's certainly never worn what Aerith once called and what Yuffie calls a "proper swimsuit." She still doesn't. _This scar is to be for one man's eyes only_, she vowed one day.

* * *

><p>After she made her vow, before the first time she and Cloud made love, she had <em>struggled <em>with showing him that part of her. The promise she had made to herself was almost too difficult to translate into action.

"_Tifa_. It's not making love if your whole body isn't part of it," Cloud had murmured after he had tried to coax her out of her shell. He had nuzzled her cheeks, trying to bring her hands away from covering her teary eyes.

The emotions of that fiery day in Nibelheim had hit her again with the immovable force of a wall. She hadn't wanted to lift her blouse to expose her heart, and thus, the loathed scar, even for her best friend and lover. _What will he think? _She had thought.

Cloud had not said anything for a few moments, but eventually:

"It can be the symbol of a new promise for us."

It had been enough. She still hadn't been completely comfortable, but she had been willing to try.

When she took her hands away, he had leaned over, gently peeled her blouse up, and kissed the thickest part of the scar.

And he whispered: "_I promise you'll never fight alone again._"

* * *

><p>It's a tradition now: once she's ready for more than heating kisses on her lips, cheeks, eyelids and arched throat, he starts with that scar between her breasts.<p>

He laves the entire length and both sides of the scar with the tip of his tongue, capitalizing on the tangled, over-sensitized nerves lining the scar. He kisses and pets it with his fingertips, holding her eyes with her own.

"_I promise to guard your back with my own_."

Now he moves down to jagged scar on the left side of her ribcage – the site where a Shin-Ra soldier had stabbed her with his bayonet before Cloud had intervened and Aerith had healed her. It is one of her most sensitive spots and Cloud takes full advantage of it. Her breath shudders as she exhales and she twines her fingers in his long hair.

"_I promise to be your shield._"

He kisses the inside of her right forearm, directly on the strange surgical scar as a result of a compound fracture. Actually, she likes to have this place nipped as opposed to being licked. This may be Cloud's favorite scar, because when he reaches it, it seems to be her signal to start getting truly frisky. She wiggles and stretches her legs high and wide for his viewing pleasure. Tifa makes extra sure that he sees her winking entrance and _oh_. He understands what she needs.

"_I promise that the scars you sustain will not go unworshipped._"

Sometimes she prefers his long, maddeningly slow licks to her pussy, but this time, she wants it hard and she gets it. She has learned not to be shy about pushing his face into her anymore than he's shy about sliding his cock hilt-deep into her mouth. They might have nibbled on another like a pair of dainty ladies might on teacakes in the beginning, but they've since thrown aside such reservations.

Her nectar spills all over the sheets, all over his face (some even gets in his hair) and all over his fingers – it's just not apparent who enjoys it more.

He kisses the accidental scratch she sustained on her inner thigh. It had been an accident because of their wild encounter after one of their sparring matches. You see, Cloud and Tifa love to spar with each other, but one day, they had discovered that not only had they been hot and sweaty after that day's match, they had also been horny enough to rip the leather clothing off the other's back. When Cloud had shredded her skirt and panties in one go, he had accidentally scratched her thigh with an oddly cut fingernail. So caught up in the moment was he, that he didn't notice the scratch until he had been pounding into her for a while. He had tried to apologize, but gave up when she hadn't heard over her breathy shrieks for _more, faster, HARDER!_

Now she giggles when he kisses and nips that particular scar.

She chucks him under the chin and runs her hands over her breasts and rosy nipples when she's got his attention. _I've had enough teasing, _her eyes say with a smile. She encourages him to lie flush against her on their sides, and they relish the sensation of their rubbing, writhing bodies together.

That's when she catches sight of the scar in the middle of his torso.

She kisses it, silently asking him for forgiveness again, because she also failed in her promise to protect and keep him safe that day.

By way of forgiveness, he slips three fingers into her throbbing canal and manipulates her clit beautifully with his thumb. Tifa _likes _this forgiveness of his.

_Now_ she's had enough teasing, and so has he. He lets her roll him over onto his back and impale herself in one long, slow slide onto his dripping, jerking cock.

They take several deep breaths to reorient their eyesight and steady their limbs. Their second time making love, they had practically crashed together. Cloud had almost blacked out with the effect, so they've learned to be a little more careful.

Tifa crouches over him and leans forward to lie on his chest and begins rocking and rubbing against Cloud. He fists the sheets and lets her make friction at her own rate, because oh, oh, _oh!_ they're close, _really, really close_ and Tifa's whole vision is rocking and Cloud is screaming and they just drop over their precipice. He's so blindsided by the sudden zenith that he can only gasp the first syllable of her name. She grins in triumph, tangles her fingers in his hair again and seals her own orgasm with a few more slams down onto his cock.

His eyes roll shut in the post-coital haze. He listens to Tifa's hard breathing, feels her slightly clenched fists tremble. He can picture her now, even with his eyelids in the way of the sight: her head is thrown back, her mouth is open, and her hair is all over the place.

He opens his eyes to see his goddess's face.

She sees the rapture in Cloud's face. She tears up, cradles his face in her hands and lets out an unimpeded sob. Cloud misunderstands her tears and says, "You're still healing – it takes time."

She shakes her head and whispers in his ear, "_I'm not crying because I'm sad. I'm crying because I know that I've got you, whatever comes our way._"

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! <strong>


End file.
